BloodSworn (31 page)

 
Chapter Thirty-four

M
errick
seethed the farther they traveled into pack territory. Though he felt guilty
for using the Drew, without the kid, they would’ve headed in the wrong direction.
The near miss chilled him. But the effort was taking its toll. Merrick gauged
that the kid wouldn’t last much longer. Pale and sweaty, his bony shoulder
slumped against the door, Drew refused to turn back until they found Trina.

No one needed to tell him that if they didn’t locate her
soon, she’d be lost to them.

Lost to him.

Merrick gripped his knees, not feeling the nails sinking
into his flesh.

“She’s on this block. If I go any farther, I don’t think
I’ll be much more help. I might lead you wrong. My body wants to protect the
bastard.”

“Stop the car.” That was all Merrick needed. Excitement
burned in his gut, and he slowly released the breath that had been trapped in
his chest since she’d gone missing.

The vehicle veered wildly toward the curb, and the cars
behind them followed suit. He gripped Drew’s shoulder while the others piled
out of the car. “You did good.”

Merrick nodded to the driver. “Take him home and keep him safe.”

He left the too warm confines of the vehicle, the night air
welcoming him with a cool embrace. The urge to hurry rushed through him. He
could almost feel Trina slipping away from him the longer they were separated.

He wouldn’t let her go that easily.

He faced the small crowd. “Search this block in pairs, one in
beast form, one human. If you find anything, do not enter the building. Signal
for us. We have surprise on our side but not for long, so be quick.”

The shifters melted away in pairs. Judith stood next to him,
waiting for his command. “Weston and Victor, head north. We’ll circle around
the other way.”

Victor pulled his shirt over his head. His image shimmered
like heat rising off pavement. Fur erupted over his body, muscles stretched and
pulled and he landed on all fours in his lion form.

His opened his mouth, scenting the air. Weston drew his
guns, and they vanished as quickly as the others.

Eden and Dorian remained behind. “Where do you want us?”

Merrick wanted to protest that the job was too important to
screw up, but the King had a surprising affinity for magic. He couldn’t refuse
for he might very well need them to save Trina. “Stay close and keep your magic
tight. The vampires can smell that shit. I won’t have you give our position
away.”

Eden snorted, but when she opened her mouth, Dorian caught
her arm, and she relented. This area of town was mostly industrial. What few
brick apartment buildings remained were condemned, slated to be demolished in
the upcoming months.

He increased his stride, scenting the air for any sign of
Trina, letting the smells rest on his tongue. Scattered trash tumbled down the cracked
sidewalks. The alleys reeked of garbage.

But maybe more telling, there were no signs of life
anywhere. Beast crowded close until Merrick’s skin rippling, desperate to get
out, but they needed to plan, and they did that better in human form. A light
rumble crawled up his chest, a mournful sound as he scented for his lost mate.

Then Beast stilled completely and crouched as he caught
scent of their prey. Merrick stopped and inhaled. “She’s here.”

Though faint, her scent lingered in the air. He turned in a
circle until he caught another whiff and took off running.

“There.” He stopped at the entrance to an alley and pointed to
the middle of the three small brownstone buildings across from them. They were
so close, he could almost feel her.

There, visible on the sidewalk, lay Trina’s hat.

“That’s my girl.” A smile curled his lips at the clue Trina had
managed to leave him.

Eden stepped next to him, her head tipped, eyes narrowed as
if reading in the air. She gave him a considering look. “You’re good. I might
have missed the faint touch of magic. How do you know that she’s in there?”

Merrick shrugged and answered with complete certainty.
“She’s there.”

He wanted to run toward the building, but they had to be cautious.
He wouldn’t risk Trina now that they were so close to getting her back.

He turned to Judith. “Signal the others.”

She jogged to the end of the street, her movements a blur. A
series of whistles pierced the air, the frequency so high that only the other shifters
could hear. She was back before the last whistle faded.

Eden moved her hands in an intricate pattern, a grace to
them that was hypnotizing. She mumbled something in a language he didn’t
recognize.

The air around them powered up and the magic covering the
building began to ripple and fade. The buildings remained the same, but smells
rolled toward them in a sickening wave. “Vampires.”

Eden nodded. “The corner, top floor. The room is blocked by
magic, and I can’t unlock it without being noticed. That’s where they would be
holding Trina.”

Merrick took a step forward when Judith grabbed his arm. Beast
rippled under his skin, the hair at his nape standing on end. He nearly whirled
and set his fangs at her throat at her interference. She must have sensed his
intent for she dropped her hand.

“Look at the rooftops.”

Then he saw them. Shadows only.

“Vampires.”

Dorian held up his hands and magic flared. Like infrared,
the bodies lit up like a bright flash of a camera and faded almost as quickly.
One form was a bright red, one a light pink and the others a dusty blue. “There
are six bodies inside, but a hell of a lot more in the surrounding buildings.”

Merrick kept his gaze on the red form, watching it fade,
instinctively knowing that it was Trina. She was alone for now, but how much
longer?

Weston and Victor appeared behind them, along with half a
dozen other pairs. Weston nodded to him. “Go rescue her. We’ll hold the rest of
them off and keep an escape route open for you.”

Merrick could hardly remain still, the demand to hunt was
almost a physical need. “Be ready for a fast getaway.”

Victor nodded as if in agreement then tipped back his
massive head and let loose a booming roar that vibrated the windows. The rest
of the animals picked up the call.

They charged into the darkness, scattering in different
directions. Merrick didn’t wait, but barreled across the street, his only focus
the building. He ducked but didn’t pause as bullets whizzed by, hurtling
himself at the door separating him from Trina. The feeble wood splintered in a
satisfying way. Shrapnel peppered the hall and the vampire waiting on the other
side.

Not giving the vampire a chance to retaliate, Merrick quickly
grabbed his head and wrenched his neck. The crunch of bones didn’t satisfy him
in the least. He drew his sword and beheaded him with one swift strike.

The others entered behind him, stepping over what was left
of the body. Merrick didn’t bother to wait for them but walked farther into the
building. The dingy hallways were unlit with trash piled nearly a foot deep in
places. Rat droppings hid amongst the clutter, but there was no rustling from the
small rodents. They were intelligent enough to flee when a bigger predator too
up residence. Recent death clung to the air, and he surmised that whatever
homeless people had been living here weren’t as smart.

Dorian chanted under his breath and a dim blue light glowed
near the soles of his boots. They push forward, and Merrick searched for any
sign of stairs, growing more frustrated when they came up empty.

A barely there sound of movement came from ahead, and Judith
shoved him hard in the back. His shoulder crashed into the wall so hard that
the sheetrock cracked.

A loud retort sounded, and Judith flinched, falling back a
step. The others behind her scrambled for cover in the nearby rooms.

Merrick shoved off the wall as another blast sounded. He
felt the pass of the bullet as the place where his head had been a second
before exploded.

He looped his arm around Judith, dragging her into the nearest
room. Judith twisted out of his hold and paced. Instead of applying pressure, she
dug into her wound, panting with each breath. She withdrew her bloody hand and
raised it up. In between her trembling fingers rested a bullet.

“Silver.” She spat the word.

“How badly are you injured?” Merrick moved to the other side
of the door, listening for any sounds of pursuit. If he hoped to get Trina out
alive, he needed Judith strong enough to fight and guard his back.

“Hurts like a bitch, but it’ll take more than a silver
bullet to finish me off.”

There was a movement of air then more belching of guns. He
heard an echo of the fight outside. Their advantage was well and truly gone.

“Go. I got this.”

Merrick wanted to protest. It irked him to leave in the
middle of a battle. Then he thought of Trina and what they could be doing to
her while he dawdled. His grip tightened on his sword. “I’ll go through him and
do as much damage as I can.”

Judith smiled and drew her own weapon. “Hey, leave some for
me.”

He snorted then with a burst of speed, charged out into the
hall. Silver missiles slid through air with a whoosh. He twisted, feeling the
burn of it sear his arm and side.

Then there was no more time for the vampire to get off any
more shots as Merrick lifted his sword, aiming for the neck. The vampire
shifted at the last movement, taking a blow to his shoulder. Flesh sliced with
ease. Blood perfumed the air. The tug on the blade let him know that the sword
had hit bone.

He slid past the vampire and whirled.

A burst of magic made the vampire scream, twisting about as
if lit on fire. Trusting that they had his back, Merrick ran into the recesses
of the building, leaving the vampire in their capable hands. The noise of the
battle faded behind him.

Each room he passed looked more rundown than the last. There
were no signs of stairs and beast gave a steady rumble of annoyance. Beneath
the rage, a thread of panic threatened to grab hold of him, worming its way
under his tight control. He picked up his pace as he imagined someone touching Trina.

And it was his fault. He’d left her alone and helpless.

After two more turns, he saw what he’d been searching for.

Stairs.

He ran through the empty doorframe. He was up the first
flight when he registered what was before him.

Nothing.

Tile and wood skidded under his feet as he slid to a stop.
The second-level stairs were gone, along with nearly all of the third as well.

From the fresh scent of the wood, the destruction was
recent. The perfect way to prevent people from coming to investigate…and keep Trina
from escaping.

Puncture marks dotted the walls where the vampires had
scaled them. The tile and framing wouldn’t hold his weight if he tried. He’d
have to leap the fifteen-foot gap. He didn’t have time to backtrack the
labyrinth of corridors in the old brownstone apartments to find another
entrance.

Merrick tossed up his sword then backed away until his
shoulders hit the wall. He took a deep breath and sprinted forward, calling up
his lion for an extra burst of speed. In human form, it only lasted ten minutes
at most. Three quarters of the way to the stairs, he leapt, kicking off the
wall.

And nearly didn’t make the jump.

His fingers snagged the ragged edges of the wooden floor.
Splinters embedded in his palms like a dozen wasp stings. He didn’t waste any
time hauling his bulk upward, ignoring the half dozen wounds littering his
hands.

Once on his feet, he retrieved his sword. The walls in this
section were water damaged, the carpeting ripped. Hell, the whole floor was
missing in sections. He skirted the edges, testing the floor to make sure it
would hold his weight. The wood groaned in protest but held.